


For Now, Let's Get Away

by whitenoise17



Series: Orchestra AU [2]
Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Halsey (Musician), My Chemical Romance, PVRIS (Band), Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: F/F, High School AU, Multi, chicago because i love it, gunngipane, orchestra AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-10-20 13:36:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10663716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitenoise17/pseuds/whitenoise17
Summary: Ashley and Lynn have been in orchestra together for years. Their adventures with the orchestra have made a lot of memories and a lot of friends, but they're both secretly hoping the upcoming trip to Chicago might be the difference between friends and... girlfriends?





	1. football games & rain

**Author's Note:**

> This is in the Orchestra AU (in case you didn't notice,) a little bit after I Never Wanted to Say This but not by a lot. I love Gunngipane so much and there's maybe 12 fics in the tag, so I'm doing my best to fill it up! (Also, tags are for the series as a whole again cause I'm not sure exactly who's going to show up in here yet)

Ashley had been selling concessions at the football game for two hours now, and she was starting to get really sick of the smell of spilled soda. She was also starting to question a lot of things about her life, in the way that a hundred and twenty minutes inside a florescent-lit box will make you do. Firstly, why had she let her parents and Mr. Walter talk her into “volunteering” to fundraise for the orchestra? Why had she worn such insensible shoes? And where the fuck was Brendon? He was supposed to be here at least 30 minutes ago, but was he? Of course not.

 

At least there were only a few minutes left until the end of the game. Everybody in the stands cheered suddenly as she tried to calculate the exact number of seconds she had left in here. Ash yelled to whoever’s parent was supposed to be in charge of the stand that she was taking a quick break and ran out onto the grass. Not that she knew (or cared) what was going on, but the grass and the wind and the bite of the chain link fence under her hands felt real, and that helped her feel a little bit more real, too.

 

Soon, the cheering ended, and Ashley reluctantly walked back into the stand. If there was a hell, she was pretty sure this was what it felt like, although festival week was still fresh in her mind and that was definitely a close contender. At least her friends hadn’t ditched her then (and she hadn’t been wearing heels.)

 

Just as Ashley was packing up the last of the candy and getting ready to leave, someone knocked on the edge of the window. Today was not the day for this shit, and she was honestly just going to leave when she heard Lynn’s voice.

 

“Ashley?” Lynn called. Ash turned around and leaned against the counter in what she hoped was a casual way and not a sorry-I-was-about-to-ignore-you-now-I’m-really-embarrassed way.

 

“Hey Lynn! What’s going on?”

 

“Nothing much, I was just wondering if you needed a ride home? Hayley said you usually get a ride with Brendon, but, well…”

 

“He ditched me? Yeah, pretty much. I’d love a ride if it’s not too much trouble.”

 

Ashley grabbed her phone and her purse and ran out the back door, meeting Lynn on the other side of the building. She motioned for Lynn to wait and then took off her shoes, holding them in one hand as they crossed the parking lot. It was starting to rain a little, and Ashley hurried her pace to Lynn’s car. She climbed in the passenger seat and watched the rain roll down the windows as Lynn started the car.

 

“So, why’d you go to the game? No offense, but I didn’t really think you were into all the sports stuff,” Ashley said.

 

“One of Hayley’s friends is on the team- Taylor?” Ashley shook her head. She had no idea who that was. “Well, she wanted to go, so I went, but she left with him and I’m all alone now.”

 

“I’m here,” pointed out Ashley.

 

Lynn nodded and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here.” Ashley smiled to herself. She would never admit it to anyone (especially not Brendon because he was obnoxious and would never leave her alone,) but she kind of did have a little bit of a crush on Lynn. Just a little. But it wasn’t going to happen, so what was the point of thinking about it?

 

“Are you going on the Chicago trip next week?” Ashley asked, mostly just to have something to say.

 

“I don’t know yet. Hayley can’t go, and I’m kind of nervous to go alone. I know it’s not a big deal, ‘cause it’s the orchestra and they’re all nice, but I just don’t want to be left out,” Lynn said, pulling a right turn.

 

“It’s groups of four, right?” Lynn confirmed this. “You can join Brendon, Dallon, and me. We don’t have a fourth person yet, and they’re probably going to go off by themselves and fool around or something, so you don’t have to worry about them, either.”

 

“I’d love that. And I don’t mind, I like them.”

 

“Perfect. I’ll see you on Monday?” The car pulled into Ashley’s driveway, and she opened the passenger door and climbed out of the passenger seat. Lynn nodded and waited in the driveway for Ashley to make it into the house before pulling away and driving home.

 

As she set her shoes down and hung up her purse, Ashley quickly checked her phone. She had three texts from about two minutes ago:

****

**_brendon:_ ** _hey where r u_

**_brendon:_ ** _im at the football field and no one’s here ??_

**_brendon:_ ** _tf_


	2. running & bus rides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Lynn (and the rest of the orchestra) start the Chicago trip!

It was the morning of the Chicago trip, and Ashley was sprinting down the hall to the art room. She had to turn in her portfolio today, which was unfortunate. She couldn’t do anything about it, though, so she just hoped Brendon or Lynn would think to hold the buses for her. It would majorly suck if she got left behind at the school.

 

It looked like she wasn’t the only one. She saw Mr. Walters walking down the arts hallway towards the doors. He looked like he’d rather be just about anywhere else in the world, and Ashley didn’t blame him. She wouldn’t want to be in charge of a bus full of teenagers, either, but she also didn’t want to get caught running down the hallways, so she ducked though the graphics lab on her way to the art room. She dropped the portfolio on the art teacher’s desk, completely disrupting class and earning a few angry glares from the students and a disapproving look from the teacher, but before anyone could say a word she was running back to the bus. She reached it just after Mr. Walter and collapsed in the seat next to Lynn, smiling innocently at the conductor when he passed their seat. She’d never been more thankful her parents had forced her onto the track team in middle school.

 

“Where were you?” asked Lynn, half laughing and half leftover concern.

 

“I had to drop off my portfolio,” Ashley answered, gasping for breath. The bus driver pulled a sharp right turn out of the lot and Ashley fell into Lynn’s shoulder. She considered getting up, but decided she didn’t have the energy to. Lynn didn’t push her off, either, so she figured it was probably all right.

 

Ashley’s phone buzzed in her pocket. A text from Brendon:

 

**_brendon:_ ** _gay_

**_ash:_ ** _who, me or you?_

**_brendon:_ ** _well both but you rn_

**_ash:_ ** _… thanks._

 

Most of their text conversations went something like that. It was a good friendship.

 

The bus ride passed fairly uneventfully, although Pete did almost fall out a window once. That was calm for their orchestra, though, so after Mr. Walter forced him to switch seats with someone far away from windows, there were no further incidents. Ashley and Lynn talked about music, both orchestral and stuff they actually listened to, and what they wanted to do in their free time in the city.

 

The trip was designed so the orchestra could see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play, but they also got about three and a half hours alone to sightsee and eat lunch before the concert. There were a couple blocks they were restricted to because Mr. Walter didn’t trust them alone, especially on public transport, but Ashley and Brendon had bent the rules just a little bit last year, and they weren’t afraid to bend them again (and take Lynn and Dallon with them).

 

The two girls fell silent as the skyline passed out of view and they entered the city itself. It’s not like they never went to the city; Ashley was there quite often, in fact. But being there with the orchestra, and with Lynn, added an extra layer of excitement over what she normally felt. Here, in the third largest city in the country, with her friends and the girl she hoped would be more than a friend, she felt like anything could happen. Better yet, she felt like something _would_ happen. This was right where it began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Chicago so much guys... Hope you enjoy this!


	3. a shit ton of food & a conservatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you know where they are in this chapter.

“You wanna get lunch and go somewhere?” Lynn said. “There’s that tiny little park over there. It’s probably the only outdoor place within Walter’s limit.”

 

“Let’s pick up lunch, yeah. But we’re not staying inside the restricted area.”

 

“We’re not?”  


“Nope. Brendon and I figured this out last year. You just have to wait until Mr. Walter goes to Trader Joe’s so he won’t notice you leaving. Then you can sneak out and go wherever.” Lynn looked shocked and Ashley laughed. “It’ll be fine. But we can stay here if you want.” Ash could feel her freedom slipping away. But it was worth it to spend time with Lynn.

 

“No! This sounds fun. Where are we going?” Thank god.

 

“The zoo? It’s pretty close. Less than ten minutes if we get a taxi.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Lynn smiled. Ashley had probably never seen anything prettier.

 

 •••

 

Ashley ran out to the taxi carrying a bag full of food. They bought a mixture of sandwiches and sides from an artisanal café, junk food from the magazine stand, and Starbucks. Dallon had been delegated to get them a taxi while Ashley and Brendon carried the food and Lynn got the drinks. It was a short ride to the zoo and before long they were dropped off at the gate.

 

“Shit, do they allow outside food?” asked Brendon. “Normally I’d say sneak it anyway, but this is a _lot_ of food.”

 

“I mean, it doesn’t say we can’t.” Ashley was not the most cautious person in the world.

 

“Let’s cut through the zoo and eat in the main park. Then we can come back.” Dallon: definitely the sensible one here.

 

The four of them settled into a patch of grass. It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of people, but everyone left them alone. It took them about an hour to finish all the food, and Ashley was still working on a bag of Sour Patch Kids when Lynn suggested checking out the conservatory. Dallon and Brendon wandered off (wonder what they could be doing), leaving Ashley and Lynn to walk through the greenhouse in peace. The plants were beautiful, and Ashley laughed for about five minutes at the T-rex holding a Cubs flag. This city was so annoying. In a good way.

 

However, the best part of the conservatory visit, the part Ashley would remember forever, came later, when they found a bench near a pool of water and sat down to wait for the boys. The room was fairly empty, and the girls felt free to spread out and be a little disruptive. Lynn was lying on the bench with her head on Ashley’s lap. They were talking a little about their lives and orchestra. Then, to her absolute embarrassment, Ashley said something she shouldn’t have.

 

“I really like you, yknow? As more than friends.” Shit. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, though! Just friends is cool too, if that’s what you want…” Ashley’s rambling was interrupted by Brendon sprinting down the pathway towards them, and the moment was lost. That was confusing and she needed to think about it, and talk to Brendon about it (even if he was an annoyance), but right now they were leaving the conservatory and she felt like crying. It was still a good day, though. Still a great day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gets worse writing-wise (and more cliche) every chapter I am so sorry. I hope you enjoyed it, though! Comments are good if you have complaints/compliments

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please comment and let me know if you enjoyed it!


End file.
